IT'S do or die time for South Wilts and their bid to reclaim the ECB Southern Premier League title.

Quite simply, they MUST beat table topping St Cross Symondians at Wilton Road on Saturday (12.30) to stand any chance of winning the trophy which has been in Havant’s hold for the past two seasons.

They go into what is being dubbed as ‘Salisbury’s Showdown for the Crown’ with a four-point leeway to make up on St Cross.

Even if they do beat the Winchester club at Bemerton, South Wilts will have to see off the challenge of third placed Burridge, who completed the double over them this season.

South Wilts’ prospects are brightened by the probable absence of Hampshire pair Jimmy Adams and Ian Holland pair from the Symondians’ side.

Hampshire start a four-day County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at the Ageas Bowl on Sunday and neither player is expected to get dispensation to play in the Premier League crunch match.

That’s good news for South Wilts as Adams has plundered three centuries in the past four weeks for St Cross, scoring 425 runs in the process, and will probably be available for their final two matches of the season.

On the downside, South Wilts will again be without influential all-rounder James Hayward, who broke his hand five weeks ago.

The recently engaged Hayward had earmarked the St Cross match for his return, but revealed: “I’m desperate to play, but I’m still in a lot of pain and have only limited movement. The doctor has laid it on the line to me in no uncertain terms.”

He added: “I’ll be on the boundary line batting and bowling every ball, but I won’t be biting my finger nails.

“Two reasons. Firstly, when I was little my mum told me not to and secondly it will hurt.”

On Sunday, St Cross and South Wilts clash again in the T20 Cup semi-final clash this time at St Cross.

Team-mate Tom Morton, meanwhile, plundered an unbeaten 91 and took over the mantle of leading Southern Premier League run scorer as South Wilts thrashed relegated New Milton by eight wickets at Fernhill.

As South Wilts chased down a rain trimmed 145-run target, so Morton took his SPL run tally for the season to 712, leaving weather marooned Academy captain Felix Organ (649) in his wake.

Morton, who hit 13 fours and two sixes in his seventh fifty-plus score of the summer, led the way as South Wilts romped home with 11 overs to spare.

They initially bowled their winless and relegated hosts out for 176, New Milton losing opener James Adams before Raff Hussey biffed five boundaries in a breezy 25.

Hussey’s departure as the second of three victims for James Hibberd (3-13) triggered a mini-collapse which saw Milton lose three wickets for one run.

Newly wed Lee Beck (42) held things together as the Green & Golds plunged to 110-8 before the tail began to wag.

Nick Gargaro and Dan Loader started the ball rolling before recently appointed skipper George Watts cracked two sixes and four boundaries in a valiant 40, adding 41 for the tenth wicket with Josh Arnold before Arthur Godsal (3-26) ended the fight-back.

Rain trimmed South Wilts’ target to 145 off 38 overs – a task they completed without overdue fuss.

Jack Mynott (21) made half the 42-run opening stand with Morton who, sensing the need to get things done and dusted with more threatening weather about, put bat to ball.

He lost Will Wade cheaply, but had teenage debutant Jack Stearman (20 not out) for company as he fired South Wilts comfortably to their victory target.